Author name: JFS

As we ring in the New Year, we’re happy to announce that Redpointe® Maple has been named a PHS Gold Medal Plant for 2025. It shares the limelight in the tree category with the ever-popular Autumn Brilliance® Serviceberry. A shrub and three perennials are also recognized and added to this honor roll of high performance […]

Trees are the answer to De-LIGHT-ful holiday displays. Millions of hardworking trees across the country embrace billions of twinkling lights as we celebrate Christmas and a host of other winter holidays. In many communities, illuminated trees carry the torch, so to speak, every night of the year – casting a cheerful glow and adding character

“Fall Is for Planting” is a familiar phrase in the tree world, and we do plenty of fall planting on our farms. Autumn is also our season for cultivating relationships with tree specifiers by attending their national conferences. Since 1995, we’ve attended the  Conference on Landscape Architecture, presented annually in October by the American Society

Space is at a premium wherever you live. According to recent US Census data, the average lot size for new homes has been shrinking for years. Since 2009, lot sizes under 7,000 sq. ft. have increased by 11%, while lots in the 7,000-9,000 sq. ft. range have increased by five percent. Over the same period,

Fall color goes beyond foliage. As the kaleidoscopic show of bright fall tones fade and leaves drift from the trees, the colorful fruits of crabapples take center stage in gardens and landscapes. Previously hidden among the leaves of late summer and autumn, bright fruits persist and carry the show into the winter months. Ornamental crabapples

Modern cultivars of Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) are a delightful and carefree addition to the tree planter’s palette. Also known as Black Gum, selected cultivars of this North American native tree are tailored for landscape and street tree use. Beyond the beauty of their glossy green summer foliage that turns to brilliant orange to red

Here in Western Oregon, peak fall color generally coincides with Halloween week and treats us to a show of spooky beautiful foliage! While trick or treaters roam the streets in search of sweet treats, we marvel at the delicious arboreal eye candy presented by street and landscape trees. Unlike the candy collected on Halloween, the

Take a walk down any street in the urban core of Washington, D. C. and you’re likely to encounter majestic elms that contribute a great deal to the cooling shade and beauty of our capital city. Although many have been lost to Dutch elm disease over the years, newer plantings of disease resistant cultivars assure

Whether in the wild, in managed landscapes or in a home landscape, trees are facing unprecedented challenges. A warming climate and changes in historic weather patterns are putting extraordinary pressure on our urban and wild forests worldwide. Urban foresters tell us that planting for a diverse mix of Genus and species is the best defense

When it comes to fall color, the bright reds, oranges and purples tend to catch the eye and steal the show. But there’s much to be said for the mellow yellows, sexy saffrons, tawny browns and burnished golds of autumn. Their warm tones really pop in the landscape, whether planted in a park, along a

The fall color express train continues chugging down the track as summer gives way to autumn. In last week’s blog, we invited you to Hop aboard the fall color express  and featured trees that are among the first to turn to bright shades of red, yellow and orange. This week, we’ve added some more cars

Here in the Pacific Northwest, hints of autumn are in the air and in our fields. Shorter days begin with cool, marine layer-misty mornings that give way to warm sunny afternoons. And in our fields, container yard, and local landscapes – green leaves give way to the first hints of fall color. If you’re hankering